Western cyclone., 1887-04-21
Spelling A SENSATION.
The Panhandle SteaIings Will Not Exceed
So, OOO-Dynamfte Found.


PITTsBURG, Pa, April lathe tremen-
dous excitement consequent on the many
arrests of Panhandle railroad employees col
lapsed Tuesday noon. The reports given out
by detectives that the plumber stolen from
the company would aggregate in value about
100000, and that the robberies had been
going on for years, are pronounced
ridiculous by General Freight Agent
McCabe, through whose department
all claims for stolen or lost freight must pass
To reporter Mr.. McCabe said: GAIL claims
for losses have been settled in this office, and
the value of the goods stolen is not over
$1,000. The value on the articles recovered
by the detectives was estimated by them
more on the space the p'under occupied in
their office than its real worth. The largest
single loss to any shipper was the guns and
revolvers taken at the time of the Sheridan
station fight. That claim was adjusted for
less than $500. The statement that uuanti-
ties of jewelry and silverware had been stolen
is untrue"
While rumaging through the effects of one
of the ringleaders, Special Officer Mill dis
covered package containing six dynamite
cartridges, sufficient to blow up the largest
building in town, The discovery created
considerable alarm, and the cartridges
were handled very gingerly. A further ex-
animation disclosed lot of fuse and caps; in
fact, all the necessary paraphernalia for the
successful firing of the cartridges Immediate
ly after the finding of the dynamite an investi-
cation was begun, the result of which, how
ever the detectives refused to make public.
They even declined to give the name of the
man in whose room the stuff was found.
hot %ho 8
the rObber in securing and storing the dyna-
mite was known, and that it would make
good reading when the proper time for its
disclosure came.
PITTsBURG, Pa, April 14-The accom-
plices of the railroad thieves are resorting to
threats to intimidate the Panhandle railroad
officials. Among the mail laid on Superin-
tendent Taylor's desk yesterday morning was
letter in dainty envelope. 1t was adj
dressed to Mr.. Taylor, who opened it and
found the following threatening missive:
Don't make any more arrests, d you, or
we will cut your d wires. and do it as often
as we please. You can't get us all and you
had better let the matter drop"
Superintendent Taylor thinks he recog-
nizes the hand writing, and the man sus-
pected will be spotted. He is still in the COM
pany's employ.
This letter would indicate that the thieves
have not all been captured and that the gang
was well organized. The police are still
working quietly on the case, and some start
ling developments are promised, but of what
nature can not be surmiSed
A number of the accused who have been
interviewed assert their innocence and give
plausible explanations for the goods found in
their possession.
John Nimmo, chief of the Brotherhood of
upon Deputy Mayor Gripp before whom the
warrants had been sworn out yesterday
morning, and stated that he had been en-
ployed on the Panhandle road for the past
four months During that time he had never
seen anything crooked among the employees.
The brotherhood, he said, would employ
counsel to defend the prisoners and if posi-
BILE establish their innocence. If proofs were
shown Of their guilt, however, the brother
hood would assist in their conviction. 1t was
the intention also to proceed against the
company for damages if the charges against
any of the men under arrest are not sus-
tanned.
The counsel for the prisoners have not yet
determined upon plan of defense, but say
they are waiting the result of the hearing on
Monday. The case against the prisoners will
then be disclosed and thus let the men know
what they are expected to meet. Every eff
fort is being made by the attorneys for the
railroad to push the cases so that they can be
heard by the present grand jury and thus
secure trial at the present term of court.